Public school students are connecting with John A. Burns School of Medicine (JABSOM) students again this year, through the “School Health Education Program.” The program brings high schoolers to the University of Hawai`i at Mānoa medical school, and takes medical schools to high school campuses.

Among those heading back into the world of high school is Kaiser graduate and current MD student Nina Ho. “I’m interested in the School Health Education Program because I never really had an opportunity like this in high school,” said Ho. “I was interested in medicine in high school, but I never really had the opportunity to interact with medical students or see what they did. I think that letting high school students get a taste of what it is like to be in medical school will help them choose a career, or at least what to do after high school,” she said.

The medical students are liaisons with the Department of Education schools, serving as active role models, mentoring and inspiring the young people with tales about their personal journeys to medical school, their knowledge of health topics and information about careers and issues involving Native Hawaiian Health. This year they are scheduled to meet with students from McKinley, Kailua, Kalaheo, Kalani, King Kekaulike (Maui), Kahuku, Farrington, Waipahu, Moanalua and Mililani High Schools.